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Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller

Know My Name is a gut-punch, and in the end, somehow, also blessedly hopeful.”
Washington Post

Universally acclaimed, rapturously reviewed, and an instant New York Times bestseller, Chanel Miller’s breathtaking memoir “gives readers the privilege of knowing her not just as Emily Doe, but as Chanel Miller the writer, the artist, the survivor, the fighter.” (The Wrap). Her story of trauma and transcendence illuminates a culture biased to protect perpetrators, indicting a criminal justice system designed to fail the most vulnerable, and, ultimately, shining with the courage required to move through suffering and live a full and beautiful life.

Know My Name will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenging our beliefs about what is acceptable and speaking truth to the tumultuous reality of healing. Entwining pain, resilience, and humor, this memoir will stand as a modern classic.

Universally acclaimed, rapturously reviewed, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for autobiography, and an instant New York Times bestseller, Chanel Miller's breathtaking memoir "gives readers the privilege of knowing her not just as Emily Doe, but as Chanel Miller the writer, the artist, the survivor, the fighter." (The Wrap).

"I opened Know My Name with the intention to bear witness to the story of a survivor. Instead, I found myself falling into the hands of one of the great writers and thinkers of our time. Chanel Miller is a philosopher, a cultural critic, a deep observer, a writer's writer, a true artist. I could not put this phenomenal book down." —Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love Warrior and Untamed

"Know My Name is a gut-punch, and in the end, somehow, also blessedly hopeful." —Washington Post

She was known to the world as Emily Doe when she stunned millions with a letter. Brock Turner had been sentenced to just six months in county jail after he was found sexually assaulting her on Stanford's campus. Her victim impact statement was posted on BuzzFeed, where it instantly went viral—viewed by eleven million people within four days, it was translated globally and read on the floor of Congress; it inspired changes in California law and the recall of the judge in the case. Thousands wrote to say that she had given them the courage to share their own experiences of assault for the first time.

Now she reclaims her identity to tell her story of trauma, transcendence, and the power of words. It was the perfect case, in many ways--there were eyewitnesses, Turner ran away, physical evidence was immediately secured. But her struggles with isolation and shame during the aftermath and the trial reveal the oppression victims face in even the best-case scenarios. Her story illuminates a culture biased to protect perpetrators, indicts a criminal justice system designed to fail the most vulnerable, and, ultimately, shines with the courage required to move through suffering and live a full and beautiful life.

Know My Name will forever transform the way we think about sexual assault, challenging our beliefs about what is acceptable and speaking truth to the tumultuous reality of healing. It also introduces readers to an extraordinary writer, one whose words have already changed our world. Entwining pain, resilience, and humor, this memoir will stand as a modern classic.

Chosen as a BEST BOOK OF 2019 by The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, TIME, Elle, Glamour, Parade, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, BookRiot

Praise for Know My Name

BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR in PEOPLE | NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW | WASHINGTON POST | NPR | PARADE | TIME | GLAMOUR | CHICAGO TRIBUNE | MARIE CLAIRE | ELLE | FORTUNE | LIBRARY JOURNAL | KIRKUS | DAILY MAIL| BALTIMORE SUN | SHE READS | MAN REPELLER | BOOKRIOT | SPY.COM

“She has written a memoir that converts the ongoing experience of sexual assault into literature…Beautiful.“─The Atlantic

“To tell her story at all is enough…the fact that Miller tells it beautifully, caring enough for her reader to spin golden sentences from her pain, is a gift on top of a gift.” ─Vogue

“Know My Name is an act of reclamation. On every page, Miller unflattens herself, returning from Victim or Emily Doe to Chanel, a beloved daughter and sister…Know My Name marks the debut of a gifted young writer. Miller’s words are purpose. They are maps. And she is a treasure who has prevailed.”─Jennifer Weiner, The New York Times

“In this powerful, gutsy memoir, Miller—the sexual assault survivor in the Stanford case—reclaims her name and her story.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Know My Name is a blistering, beautifully written account of a courageous young woman’s struggle to hold a sexual predator accountable. Stand back, folks: This book is going to give a huge blast of momentum to the #MeToo movement.”─Jon Krakauer

“She writes exquisitely of her pain, makes us feel every fragment of it, but also expounds on the kindness that nourished her spirit…Miller matters. Readers will see every victim matters.” ─USA Today

“In a perfect world, Know My Name would be required reading for every police officer, detective, prosecutor, provost and judge who deals with victims of sexual assault.” ─LA Times

“Miller is a gifted storyteller…Know her name, know her voice.”─The New Yorker

“Miller provides one of the most moving and humanizing depictions of sexual assault I have ever read…Know My Name features the kind of intimate, coming-of-age storytelling that you don’t find in a typical story about a crime and its aftermath. She lets us see her in quiet moments and jubilant ones, in moments of doubt and moments of strength…In giving us the gift of knowing her, Miller has written a singular testament to the human cost of sexual violence, and a powerful reminder of why we fight.” ─The Cut

“In a world that asks too many survivors to keep their experiences to themselves and shrink their suffering to preserve someone else’s potential, Know My Name stands unapologetically large, asking others to reckon with its author’s dazzling, undiminishable presence. To read it, in spite of everything, inspires hope.”—The Guardian

“I’d never read anything that so vividly paints the bewildering maze that a sexually assaulted woman faces…Know My Name raises crucial questions about the way we treat sexual assault and, indeed, sex itself.” ─Katha Pollitt, The Nation

“In its rare honesty and in its small details, Know My Name is both an open wound and a salve, a quiet cry and the loudest scream…Know My Name is more than an indictment, though it is a successful and moving one. It is also an outstretched hand, inviting you to fight alongside her.”─Elle

“Miller’s memoir is beautifully written, underscored by simmering indignation.” ─Jezebel

“Compelling and essential…Miller reminds us that our stories are worth telling, that the names and the lives attached to those names matter.” ─SF Chronicle

“Triumphant…Know My Name evokes a woman whose spirit hasn’t been broken—a study in what it means to strike back, not in revenge, but in reclamation.”—O Magazine

“A stunning book…beautifully written.”—Teen Vogue

“Unputdownable…A much-needed memoir giving voice to those who must be heard. Miller’s writing stands apart.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“Miller’s new memoir echoes her powerful victim-impact statement… It’s a beautiful revealing self-portrait. It’s funny and it’s heartbreaking, and it’s an inspiration. There’s just no other way to say it: the writing is exquisite.” ─The Daily Beast

“Miller’s memoir, Know My Name, gives readers the privilege of knowing her not just as Emiy Doe, but as Chanel Miller the writer, the artist, the survivor, the fighter.” ─The Wrap

“Miller distinguishes herself not only for her resilience and fortitude, but also for her power of expression. She possesses extraordinary gifts as a writer.”─The National Book Review

“Miller makes a powerful case for overhauling a system that retraumatizes victims of sexual violence even in successful cases, perpetuating the feedback loop that discourages victims from coming forward to seek justice.” ─Mother Jones

Read an Excerpt

I N T R O D U C T I O N  
 

The fact that I spelled subpoena, suhpeena, may suggest I am not qualified to tell this story. But all court transcripts are at the world’s disposal, all news articles online. This is not the ultimate truth, but it is mine, told to the best of my ability. If you want it through my eyes and ears, to know what it felt like inside my chest, what it’s like to hide in the bathroom during trial, this is what I provide. I give what I can, you take what you need.

In January 2015, I was twenty-two, living and working in my home- town of Palo Alto, California. I attended a party at Stanford. I was sexually assaulted outside on the ground. Two bystanders saw it, stopped him, saved me. My old life left me, and a new one began. I was given a new name to protect my identity: I became Emily Doe.

In this story, I will be calling the defense attorney, the defense. The judge, the judge. They are here to demonstrate the roles they played. This is not a personal indictment, not a clapback, a...

Excerpted from Know My Name by Chanel Miller. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Meet Chanel

Chanel Miller

Chanel Miller is a writer and artist. Her memoir, Know My Name, was a New York Times bestseller, a New York Times Book Review Notable Book, and a winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the Ridenhour Book Prize, and the California Book Award. It was also a best book of the year in Time, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, NPR, and People, among others. She was named one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 and a Time Next 100 honoree, and was a Glamour Woman of the Year honoree under her pseudonym Emily Doe.

Get in Touch

Letters to Chanel can be sent to:

Chanel Miller c/o Viking Books, 1745 Broadway NY, NY 10019

For publicity and media inquiries, please contact:

Rebecca Marsh | Viking / Penguin Random House | rmarsh@penguinrandomhouse.com

Julia Rickard | Viking / Penguin Random House | jrickard@penguinrandomhouse.com

For speaking inquiries, please contact:

Kate Berner | Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau | kberner@penguinrandomhouse.com

Resources

A Call to Men logo

A CALL TO MEN

A CALL TO MEN educates men all over the world on healthy, respectful manhood.  Embracing and promoting a healthy, respectful manhood prevents violence against women, sexual assault and harassment, bullying and many other social ills.

BetterBrave logo

BetterBrave

BetterBrave provides a thorough guide to identifying and dealing with sexual harassment, including information on reporting it to HR and seeking legal counsel.

Centerfor Changing Our Campus Culture

Center for Changing Campus Culture

DomesticShelters.org logo

DomesticShelters.org

Local Domestic Violence Shelters resource guide

End Rape on Campus (EROC) logo

End Rape on Campus

End Rape on Campus (EROC) works to end campus sexual violence through direct support for survivors and their communities; prevention through education; and policy reform at the campus, local, state, and federal levels.

Equal Rights Advocates logo

Equal Rights Advocates

Equal Rights Advocates is a nonprofit legal organization dedicated to protecting and expanding economic and educational access and opportunities for women. They provide a toll-free multi-lingual Advice and Counseling Line where you can receive advice and information on your legal rights: 1 (800) 839-4372. All calls are confidential.

Futures Without Violence logo

Futures Without Violence

Workplaces Respond, led by Futures Without Violence, is a national resource center that provides training and education, tools and resources, and technical assistance to employers, survivors, co-workers, and advocates to prevent and respond to domestic & sexual violence, sexual harassment, trafficking, and stalking impacting workers and the workplace.

The Grateful Garment Project logo

The Grateful Garment Project

The Grateful Garment Project provide’s new clothing, food, grooming supplies and other vital resources to Sexual Assault Service Providers throughout the State of California.

Joyful Heart Foundation logo

Joyful Heart Foundation

Joyful Heart Foundation is a leading national organization with a mission to transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivors’ healing, and end this violence forever.

Know Your IX logo

Know Your IX

Founded in 2013, Know Your IX is a survivor- and youth-led project of Advocates for Youth that aims to empower students to end sexual and dating violence in their schools. We envision a world in which all students can pursue their civil right to educations free from violence and harassment.

Me Too logo

me too.” Movement

The “me too.” Movement supports survivors of sexual violence and their allies by connecting survivors to resources, offering community organizing resources, pursuing a ‘me too’ policy platform, and gathering sexual violence researchers and research. “Me too.” Movement work is a blend of grassroots organizing to interrupt sexual violence and digital community building to connect survivors to resources.

National Alliance to End Sexual Violence logo

National Alliance to End Sexual Violence

The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence educates the policy community about federal laws, legislation and appropriations impacting the fight to end sexual violence. Its team of experts and advocates, donating time away from their state and local groups, publish written analysis, track legislation, provide media interviews, and advise members of Congress and the executive branch.

National Domestic Violence Hotline

National Domestic Violence Hotline

The National Domestic Violence Hotline provides lifesaving tools and immediate support to enable victims to find safety and live lives free of abuse.
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

National Sexual Violence Resource Center logo

National Sexual Violence Resource Center

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s (NSVRC) mission is to provide leadership in preventing and responding to sexual violence through collaboration, sharing and creating resources, and promoting research.

National Women's Law Center

National Women’s Law Center

The National Women’s Law Center has worked since its inception in 1972 to protect and advance the progress of women and girls at work, in school, and in virtually every aspect of their lives — with special attention given to the needs of low-income women and their families.

No More logo

NO MORE

NO MORE is dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual assault by increasing awareness, inspiring action and fueling culture change.

One Love

One Love

Love is the most important thing in our lives, yet we are taught very little about it. One Love is on a mission to change that. We educate young people about healthy and unhealthy relationships, empowering them to identify and avoid abuse and learn how to love better. 

Promundo

Promundo

Promundo aims to prevent gender-based violence and violence against children by working to change the harmful norms that perpetuate these practices. We are establishing best practices for engaging men in the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, and we have contributed to formative research, program development, and campaigns that promote nonviolent attitudes and behaviors related to gender.

RAINN logo

RAINN

As the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline, a 24/7, free, confidential hotline in English and Spanish staffed by trained support specialists who can provide support and resources to survivors and their loved ones. Chat online at hotline.RAINN.org or call 1 (800) 656.HOPE (4673).

RISE logo

Rise

Rise is a multi-sector coalition of sexual assault survivors and allies working to empower all survivors with civil rights and implement a Sexual Assault Survivor Bill of Rights. In 2016, Rise drafted and passed the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights unanimously through Congress, a feat only 21 bills in modern U.S. history have done.

SafeBAE logo

SafeBAE

SafeBAE was created in 2015 by the subjects of the acclaimed Netflix documentary “Audrie & Daisy.”   We are a survivor-founded, youth-led national organization whose mission is to end sexual assault among middle and high school students.  As the only national peer-to-peer organization of our kind, we help promote culture change by giving teens the tools to become activists and shift school culture through raising awareness about dating violence, sexual harassment and assault, affirmative consent, safe bystander intervention, survivor care, and their rights under Title IX.

Time's Up Legal Defense Fund logo

Time's Up Legal Defense Fund

YWCA Eliminating Racism, Empowering Women logo

YWCA

Find your local YWCA.

Support your local YWCA’s Survivor’s services program, such as the YMCA of Silicon Valley.

Support your local District Attorney’s Victim’s Assistance Program (by county), such as the County of Santa Clara’s Victim Services Unit.

I Am With You – Chanel Miller

“While writing Know My Name, I was constantly drawing as a way of letting my mind breathe, reminding myself that life is playful and imaginative. We all deserve a chance to define ourselves, shape our identities, and tell our stories. The film crew that worked on this piece was almost all women. Feeling their support and creating together was immensely healing. We should all be creating space for survivors to speak their truths and express themselves freely. When society nourishes instead of blames, books are written, art is made, and the world is a little better for it.”

—Chanel Miller

Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes of I Am With You Film
Behind the Scenes of I Am With You Film
I Am With You Film Credits
Friends, Family, and Supporters of I Am With You Film
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